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Andrew Jackson, Battle of New Orleans




Andrew Jackson (1687-1845)
Party: Democratic
Dates of Terms in Office: 1829-1837
Vice Presidents: John C. Calhoun (1828-1832), Martin Van Buren (1833-1837)
Alright, Mr. Andrew Jackson. He was one of the smarter presidents of his time period. Cunning, witty, and a true fighter, he went out and shot down his competition whether it was in a war or in an election. His style of politics is why I give this man a solid B, even though if things started to go a little haywire with the Native Americans during his presidency. If the Native situation had been a little better, he would have had a solid A, no question.
Andrew Jackson may have been our seventh president, but he was first in many ways. He was the first populist president who did not come from the upper classes; he was the first to have his vice-president resign. He was the first to marry a divorcee; he was the first to be nominated at a national convention during his second term, the first to use an informal "Kitchen Cabinet" of advisers, and the first president to use the "pocket veto" to stop a bill proposed by congress.

^^^ (Microsoft word screwed up this paragraph's font :'[ ) ^^^


Jackson was very headstrong; He vetoed more bills in his first two terms than the 6 other presidents combined. His heads, be thinking was not very popular with the south, because he favored heavy support to a strong union, which was not a real objective of the southern people or their economy. Jackson was in a constant battle with the state of South Carolina, mostly over the "slightly" unfair tariffs. They were necessary, but they were a little pricey and harmful to the Southern economy. There was a compromise in 1833, but it was a huge (indirect) step for the civil war.
Jackson's key problem was in dealing the the Native Americans. Jackson had already been known as a true Native American hater, proven by his leadership during the first Seminole War and the creation of the Native American Removal Act. Basically, the Native American Removal Act threw all the Native Americans that were in their homelands the Mississippi River. This was a temporary provision, because Manifest Destiny forced them even further westward. The N.A.R.A. took away 100 million acres from the Natives and put it up for sale to the colonists, which they greedily ate up; even they had no right to force them out. This is true, the Supreme Court had ruled against it but Jackson and the Georgians heavily ignored this ruling. Georgia evicted the Cherokees AFTER Jackson was out of office. Martin Van Buren was the real man behind the removal.
Jackson's other accomplishments included re-instating the National Bank and adding Arkansas and Michigan to the United States.

"Andrew Jackson." Biography of Andrew Jackson. 2008. The White House. 15 Oct. 2008 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/aj7.html>.

State Library of N.C. "Andrew Jackson." Andrew Jackson. 18 July 2008. State Library of North Carolina. 1 Oct. 2008 <http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/bio/public/jackson.htm>.